A World Record for World AIDS Day

56 Dean Street has teamed up with Jeremy Joseph and G-A-Y to set a Guinness World Record for administering HIV tests in 8-hours at the G-A-Y Bar in Old Compton Street, Soho, London.

Longtime EJAF supporter, G-A-Y, will be donating £5 for every test performed to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Dr Alan McOwan, Lead Consultant at 56 Dean Street said, “We will be using the world’s fastest HIV antibody test, which provides a result in just 60 seconds. One in 20 gay men in London has undiagnosed HIV and two-thirds of undiagnosed men think that they are negative. Testing early can add 16 years to someone’s life.”

People who are aware they have HIV are three and a half times less likely to pass their HIV on. In addition, 77% of AIDS relate deaths are caused by late diagnosis of HIV. The first symptoms of HIV can appear within six weeks of infection but after a few weeks they usually disappear and after this time many people have no symptoms for years.

The record setting attempt will run from 2pm – 10pm on World AIDS Day, 1st December 2011. Registration forms will be available on the evening at G-A-Y bar though it will also be possible to pre-complete the form, which will be printed in the 24th November issue of Boyz magazine or picked up from G-A-Y bar and G-A-Y club at Heaven the week before. A Facebook event invitation can be found at http://is.gd/bNTygL.